Ends TOMORROW: Carry the spirit of the wild horse with you
The following is from the American Wild Horse Conservation:
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Wild Horse and Burro 2026
Wild Horse and Burro articles for 2026
A broken system is failing America’s wild horses
The following is from the American Wild Horse Conservation:
Members of Congress have until March 16 to sign onto a letter supporting humane wild horse reforms in the FY27 Interior Appropriations bill.
Your representative needs to hear from you today.
| TAKE ACTION |
The wild horse program is stuck in a broken cycle.
Every year, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) rounds up thousands of wild horses and burros from public lands — only to warehouse them in government holding facilities that are already overcrowded and too expensive to maintain.
Instead of investing in humane solutions that keep horses on the range, the agency continues to rely on removals. The numbers tell the story:
In Fiscal Year 2025, the BLM removed 7,853 wild horses and burros from the range, while administering just 921 fertility control treatments — a science-backed tool that safely manages populations where wild horses belong.
Despite direction from lawmakers and the National Wild Horse and Burro Advisory Board to expand fertility control, the agency has failed to scale up these humane solutions.
Without change, wild horses and burros will continue to be funneled into a broken system of roundups and long-term holding that already consumes the vast majority of the program’s budget.
Now, Congress has an opportunity to step in.
A letter is currently circulating in the U.S. House of Representatives calling for humane wild horse and burro protections to be included in the Fiscal Year 2027 Interior Appropriations bill.
But the window to secure support is short. Members of Congress only have until March 16 to sign onto this letter.
That means your representative needs to hear from constituents like you, Meredith, right now.
| TAKE ACTION |
If enough representatives sign on before the March 16 deadline, it could help steer federal policy toward humane, common-sense management that keeps wild horses where they belong — on the range. Your voice could help make that happen.
Thank you for standing with America’s wild horses and burros,
American Wild Horse Conservation
Celebrating the woman who changed the fate of America’s wild horses
The following is from the American Wild Horse Conservation:
More than 70 years ago, a woman in Nevada witnessed something she could not ignore.
Velma “Wild Horse Annie” Johnston was driving along a highway when she noticed blood dripping from a passing livestock truck. When she discovered it came from captured wild horses being hauled away for slaughter, she made a decision that would change history.
Velma wasn’t a politician or a lobbyist — she was an administrative assistant. She believed Americans would care if they knew what was happening to wild horses on our public lands — and she was right.
She organized a grassroots movement that spread across the country. Schoolchildren joined what became known as the “Pencil War,” flooding Congress with handwritten letters demanding protection for wild horses. And, Meredith, their voices worked.
In 1971, Congress passed the Wild Free-Roaming Horses and Burros Act, recognizing wild horses as “living symbols of the historic and pioneer spirit of the West” and placing them under federal protection.
It remains one of the most powerful wildlife protection laws ever passed in the United States.
But today, the promise of that law is being steadily weakened.
Across the West, wild horses are being removed from their homes through aggressive helicopter roundups and placed into government holding facilities by the tens of thousands. At the same time, wild horse habitat continues to shrink while commercial livestock grazing on public lands continues largely unchanged. In fact, on many of the same landscapes where wild horses are blamed for land degradation, there are roughly 30 cattle authorized for every single wild horse.
The result is a troubling reality: Wild horses — the very animals Congress once moved to protect — are increasingly treated as obstacles rather than icons.
Wild Horse Annie showed the world that ordinary people can shape the future of these animals. Today, we must do the same.
As part of our Month of Action, will you act now to help hold the line for America’s wild horses? →
| TAKE ACTION |
Velma Johnston proved that one person speaking up can spark a movement. Together, we can ensure her legacy continues.
Thank you for standing with the wild ones,
AWHC Team
Antelope HMA: 344 horses removed — here’s what happened next →
The following is from the American Wild Horse Conservation:
The Bureau of Land Management’s (BLM) “emergency” roundup outside the Antelope Herd Management Area has now concluded. Below are the final outcomes that our team of observers witnessed:
- 344 wild horses were captured: 131 stallions, 147 mares, 66 foals
- Three deaths occurred during the course of these removals — including a yearling who suffered a fatal neck fracture at the trap site.
However, and equally disturbing story has begun now that this roundup has concluded.
In the days following this removal, our Investigations Team documented a dramatic expansion of listings on the BLM’s Sale Authority website — growing from roughly 40 pages to nearly 70, many featuring horses under five years old.
Under federal law, horses can enter the Sale Authority if they are over 10 years old or have been offered unsuccessfully for adoption three times. But when emergency roundups rapidly increase the number of horses entering the system, more animals are pushed through this pipeline faster — reducing transparency and increasing the long-term risk to these federally protected horses.
At the same time, federal officials continue advancing a goal of placing 20,000 horses per year into adoption or sale channels, while rapidly scaling the online corral system to move animals faster.
That raises a serious question: Has the government demonstrated that humane placement capacity exists before accelerating removals? Meredith, precedent tells us the answer is no.
When removals outpace real demand, the risks to these horses grow. And as more animals are funneled into Sale Authority, federal safeguards fall away.
This is not sustainable management. It is a slaughter pipeline.
We will not stay silent as “emergency” roundups feed a system that cannot responsibly sustain the volume being removed.
This is exactly why we launched our Hold the Line campaign — to push back when “emergency” becomes a shortcut and to ensure wild horses are protected by law, not processed by quota. Stand with us, Meredith. Demand transparency, accountability, and real checks before more horses are taken.
| POWER OUR WORK |
Thank you,
AWHC Team
Your Horse, In Watercolor
The following is from the American Wild Horse Conservation:
You asked—we listened. By popular demand, we’re extending our special Year of the Horse partnership with Apolis through March 15!
This limited-time collection features hand-painted, customizable bags created for horse lovers—each one crafted by artists and made to carry meaning, not just your everyday essentials. With every bag purchased, $100 is donated to American Wild Horse Conservation to support the protection of wild horses and burros on public lands.
| PERSONALIZE YOUR BAG → |
Wild horses continue to face removals from their homes and confinement in government holding facilities. Your purchase helps power our on-the-ground observers, legal advocacy, and public accountability work to protect wild horses where they belong—on the range.
If you’ve been waiting to customize your bag, this is your moment. The extension runs through March 15, and these hand-painted designs are only available for a limited time!
With gratitude,
American Wild Horse Conservation
This isn’t “balance.” It’s mass removal.
The following is from the American Wild Horse Conservation:
I wish I were writing to you with better news.
The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has just approved plans for a massive roundup in Nevada’s Callaghan Complex — one of the last great strongholds for wild horses in the West.
If carried out, this operation would remove nearly 5,000 wild horses from more than a million acres of public lands — pushing thousands of animals into government holding facilities and leaving only a fraction of the herds behind.
Families will be broken apart. Entire bands will disappear from landscapes they’ve lived on for generations. But this is not a fight we can take on alone. To stop this plan, we need a united community behind us — and we urgently need to fuel our Legal Fund with whatever you’re able to give today.
The BLM claims this plan is about “balance.” But when you look closely, the story changes:
This decision is built on outdated population targets that were set decades ago — before climate change, before modern ecological science, and without meaningful updates to reflect current conditions on the range. Their own monitoring fails to distinguish between the impacts of livestock grazing and wild horses on fragile habitat, yet wild horses are once again being singled out for removal while commercial livestock grazing continues.
Even more troubling: the BLM is proposing to remove thousands of horses before meaningfully deploying humane fertility control at scale — despite clear evidence that fertility control works when implemented seriously. This is not a last resort. It is a default to mass removal — a costly pipeline to overcrowded holding facilities where these innocent animals will live out their lives in captivity or be sent to slaughter.
I refuse to accept that as “management.” And I know you won’t either, Meredith.
American Wild Horse Conservation is preparing to challenge this decision and escalate pressure on the agency — in the courts, in Washington, and in the public eye. But we can only move as fast and as forcefully as our supporters make possible.
Your support powers our legal work, on-the-ground advocacy, and the fight to replace mass removals with humane, science-based solutions that actually keep wild horses wild. A gift to our Legal Fund today will help power the next phase of this fight as we work to halt this devastating plan.
| FUEL OUR LEGAL FUND |
This is the moment we either draw the line for wild horses — or allow their disappearance from these lands to become permanent. If we stand together now, we can still change what happens next.
With determination,
Patricia Miller
Board Chair
American Wild Horse Conservation
The Fire Horse year is here — and wild horses still inspire.
The following is from the American Wild Horse Conservation:
The Year of the Fire Horse has begun — a period of strength, resilience, and forward motion. For those of us who care about wild horses and burros, it’s a powerful way to welcome the year ahead.
As we shared earlier this week, wild horses are at a decade-defining inflection point. But this moment isn’t only about policy or numbers — it’s about why wild horses matter to people, to culture, and to our shared sense of freedom.
Across the American West and around the world, wild horses symbolize endurance, family, and the untamed spirit of the natural world. For many, seeing wild horses for the first time is unforgettable — a reminder that something truly wild still exists.
To mark the beginning of the Year of the Fire Horse, we’re lifting up the voices of supporters and volunteers who stand with wild horses every day:
These stories remind us that this movement is personal — and that visibility creates momentum for change.
Thank you for being part of a community that keeps wild horses in the public consciousness — not as a memory of the past, but as a living presence we are responsible for protecting today.
With gratitude,
American Wild Horse Conservation
The Year of the Fire Horse: A turning point for wild horses
The following is from the American Wild Horse Conservation:
As the Year of the Fire Horse begins today, I’ve been reflecting on what that symbol represents: strength, endurance, and the courage to keep moving forward — even when the terrain is difficult.
That feels especially fitting for this moment in American Wild Horse Conservation’s journey.
2025 was not just a year of activity, it was a year of measurable progress.
Together, we expanded humane fertility control, documented roundups across the West, strengthened legal accountability, and helped bring the reality facing wild horses and burros into the national conversation. Because of supporters like you, millions more people now understand what’s at stake.
And yet, the bigger picture is sobering.
Nearly a decade ago, approximately 20,000 wild horses were trapped in long-term government holding. Today, that number has more than tripled — with over 62,000 horses confined, now outnumbering those still living free on our public lands.
This is how change moves with wild horses, Meredith: in cycles and over decades. There are moments of progress, followed by periods of pressure.
What we are living through now is not just another cycle — it is an inflection point. The choices made in the next few years will shape the future of wild horses for a generation.
Today, I’m sharing our 2025 Impact Report with you. But I want to be clear: this is not a look back. It is a launch point for what we are building in 2026.
Download the full report to see your impact:
| DOWNLOAD THE 2025 ANNUAL REPORT |
As we enter the Year of the Fire Horse, wild horses are experiencing something rare: a cultural renaissance. Across media, art, advocacy, and public dialogue, these animals are reemerging as what they truly are — the lifeblood of the American West and a living symbol of freedom.
This renewed visibility matters. It creates an opening to move wild horses back into the mainstream of our national conscience — not as an afterthought, but as a priority.
We are aligning our 2026 organizational priorities with this moment.
AWHC is evolving — strengthening our field presence, sharpening our legal strategy, expanding public engagement, and demanding higher standards of accountability from federal agencies. The foundation you helped lay in 2025 is what allows us to step into this year with clarity, resolve, and momentum.
The stakes remain high. Roundups continue. Horses are still being removed from their families and pushed into a holding system never designed to operate at this scale. Protections passed by Congress are still being tested in practice.
But moments like this — when public awareness, cultural energy, and institutional pressure converge — are rare. The Year of the Fire Horse invites forward motion. With your partnership, we are prepared to meet this decade-defining moment with the urgency wild horses deserve.
Thank you for standing with us — not just for what we’ve achieved, but for what we are building next.
With gratitude and resolve,
Patricia Miller
Board Chair
American Wild Horse Conservation
P.S. Our limited-time Apolis brand partnership turns what you carry everyday into real protection for wild horses—$100 from each bag supports AWHC. Customize your bag here.
2026 is the Year of the Horse. Protect something wild.
The following is from the American Wild Horse Conservation:
This week, we welcome the Year of the Horse—a symbol of strength and freedom—with a special partnership designed to protect what’s wild. We’re teaming up with Apolis to support wild horses through an exciting, limited-edition promotion:
For one week only, Apolis is offering select personalized bags created in celebration of the Year of the Horse.With each bag purchased, $100 will be donated to AWHC to help protect America’s wild horses and burros on public lands.
Across the West, wild horses continue to face removals from their homes on public lands and confinement in holding facilities. Your support fuels our frontline work—deploying observers, challenging harmful policies, and fighting for humane, science-based management that keeps horses on the land where they belong.
When you personalize an Apolis bag through this promotion, you’re not just choosing something beautiful and functional. You’re choosing to stand for freedom on the range, family bands left intact, and a future where wild horses remain wild.
This collaboration brings together two values-driven organizations committed to protecting what’s precious. Apolis builds thoughtfully made products that create a positive impact around the world—and now, your everyday bag can directly support the protection of wild horses here at home.
Join us in bringing the values of the Fire Horse with us—by turning symbolism into protection for our cherished wild horses.
With gratitude,
American Wild Horse Conservation
| PERSONALIZE YOUR BAG → |
Valentine’s Day is for wild love
The following is from the American Wild Horse Conservation:
Happy Valentine’s Day!
Today is a celebration of love — but love in the wild doesn’t look like roses and chocolates. It looks like standing watch while your partner rests. It looks like staying close through storms, rivals, and years of survival.
Meet Blue and Lady of Nevada’s Fish Springs Range.
Blue and Lady are the king and queen of Nevada’s Fish Springs Range. Blue is everything you’d imagine a wild stallion to be: fiercely protective of his family, a resilient fighter, and a leader shaped by desert wind and sun. Lady is a stunning mare who has raised generations of wild horses — her intuition and quiet strength helping keep her family wild and free.
Photo credit: JT Humphrey
They’ve stood by each other for years, rarely straying far apart. When Blue rests, Lady keeps watch. When people spot Lady, they know the mighty Blue is nearby.
Through brutal winters and the steady passage of time, their bond has endured. This is wild love.
Blue and Lady are lucky — their family bond has endured rival stallions, brutal winters, and the steady passage of time. So many others aren’t given that chance.
But this Valentine’s Day, you have the power to help keep wild horse families together:
When you become a monthly supporter, you help create steady, year-round protection for wild horses and burros — the kind of support that allows us to respond to emergencies, document roundups, fight removals, and keep families in the wild where they belong.
As a thank-you, anyone who starts a monthly gift will receive a free Valentine’s Day–themed wild horse phone background — a small reminder of the love you’re helping protect, every time you unlock your phone.
| DONATE NOW |
Thank you for standing with wild families.
With gratitude,
American Wild Horse Conservation
P.S. Valentine’s Day may only come once a year, but wild horse families need protection every day. Monthly support helps make that possible. Please consider making a recurring monthly donation to AWHC today!
This Super Bowl commercial reminded us what’s at stake for wild horses
The following is from the American Wild Horse Conservation:
If you watched the Super Bowl this weekend, you likely saw the Clydesdales — powerful and steady, accompanied by another unmistakable American icon, the bald eagle. Two powerful American symbols, together.
What many people don’t realize is that wild horses and bald eagles are the only two animals federally protected by Congress — meant to symbolize our nation’s commitment to preserving its natural heritage.
But for America’s wild horses and burros, that promise of protection is being broken in practice. Today, only about 55,000 wild horses remain free on our public lands — while roughly 62,000 are confined in government holding facilities, removed from the very landscapes they were meant to be protected on.
Across the West, wild horses are driven from their homes, separated from their families, and funneled into a federal holding system that was never designed to warehouse tens of thousands of wild animals. Once removed, their futures become increasingly uncertain — and oversight too often falls short of what true protection should mean.
These animals don’t have a voice in the rooms where decisions are made. They only have us.
That’s why American Wild Horse Conservation exists — to stand between wild horses and harmful management practices, to monitor government actions on the ground, and to fight for policies that actually uphold their legal protections.
Today, we’re asking you to do two simple but powerful things:
1) Share why you’re in this fight.
At the link here, share a photo, a memory, or a few words about why wild horses and burros matter to you. Your voice helps remind the public that these animals are not just symbols — they are living beings who deserve real protection. With your permission, we’ll be sharing some of these responses over the coming days across our channels.
2) Make a gift to protect wild horses and burros.
Your donation powers on-the-ground observers, legal action, and advocacy that holds agencies accountable when wild horses are put in harm’s way.
Symbols only matter if we defend what they stand for. Let’s honor both these cherished icons — not just in the media, but in real life.
With gratitude,
American Wild Horse Conservation
An update from Nevada: What our observers witnessed
The following is from the American Wild Horse Conservation:
Last week, we reached out to let you know that the first round up of the year was underway — an emergency wild horse roundup in Nevada — and that American Wild Horse Conservation had placed observers on the ground to independently document the operation.
One of our core commitments is to deploy independent observers to every roundup possible. Because roundup operations move quickly and access is often restricted, our presence on the ground helps ensure there is transparency when decisions are made in real time — and that what happens to wild horses is witnessed, documented, and made part of the public record.
Now that the first roundup of 2026 has concluded, Meredith, we wanted to share a brief update with what our team saw on the ground:
- Over several days, approximately 180 wild horses were captured and removed from the range and seven horses were euthanized.
- Our observers documented horses being driven by helicopter into trap sites in cold winter conditions, showing visible signs of exhaustion and distress.
- During sorting and loading, horses panicked in confined pens, with some attempting to climb over one another. Observers were repeatedly denied access to temporary holding facilities, preventing independent assessment of horses’ condition after removal.
Pictured: Distressed wild horses climbing on top of each other at the trap site
The Bureau of Land Management carried out the roundup of the Owyhee Complex under “emergency authority” — a designation that allowed the agency to move forward quickly, with limited public notice and little opportunity for meaningful public oversight. As we’ve seen repeatedly, when the BLM invokes emergency authority,transparency is often one of the first things to disappear.
Despite these restrictions, and because of the resources supporters like you provide, Meredith, AWHC was prepared to respond on short notice, and place trained observers onsite to document the roundup from start to finish.
The full Owyhee Complex Roundup Report is now available. You can read the final report to see exactly what our observers documented, from daily observations, to animal welfare concerns, and access limitations encountered during the operation.
| READ THE FULL REPORT |
Thank you for standing with us,
AWHC Team
P.S. Your generosity puts boots on the ground to make this observation work possible. Please consider making a donation to AWHC’s Observation Fund to ensure we can continue providing independent oversight wherever and whenever wild horses are at risk
Introducing Hold the Line: Our Commitment to Accountability
The following is from the American Wild Horse Conservation:
Today, American Wild Horse Conservation is launching Hold the Line — a yearly organizational commitment to vigilance, accountability, and action to ensure America’s wild horse protections are upheld as intended.
Wild horses are federally protected icons. That protection must be more than words on paper — it must be honored in practice.
Over the past year, we have listened closely to our community of advocates, sanctuaries, rescues, and supporters. We have heard growing concern about agency conduct that undermines the spirit and letter of wild horse protections. We share that concern and refuse to accept it as “business as usual.”
Hold the Line is our response.
Each year, this initiative focuses on a specific area where heightened oversight is required. Last year, this was the Bureau of Land Management’s (BLM) Adoption Incentive program. In 2026, our focus is the BLM’s Sale Authority — a program that acts as an off-ramp out of federal protection, leaving wild horses vulnerable the moment they are sold.
When safeguards are weak, wild horses pay the price — losing their freedom, their families, and in too many cases, their lives.
This is not a moment. It is a mandate.
This campaign is about holding the line, collectively — ensuring accountability from the agencies entrusted with the care and management of wild horses, and protecting these animals from practices that place them in harm’s way.
More details will follow in the weeks ahead, including how advocates, partners, and the public can stand with us.
For now, know this:
We are watching. We are listening. And we are taking action.
— American Wild Horse Conservation
There’s still time to renew your support for 2026
The following is from the American Wild Horse Conservation:
We wanted to make sure this didn’t get lost in your inbox.
Yesterday, we unveiled the Official 2026 AWHC Member Card — chosen by supporters like you — as a symbol of the community standing up for wild horses in the year ahead. There is still time for you to download yours from the email below!
As 2026 begins, wild horses face mounting threats — and the work to protect them is expanding in scale, visibility, and urgency. From stronger federal advocacy and field accountability to humane conservation and national storytelling, the year ahead will demand a committed community ready to show up.
| RENEW YOUR SUPPORT |
Your membership ensures AWHC can remain vigilant, visible, and effective — on the range, in the courts, and in Washington — at a moment when it matters more than ever.
Thank you for being part of this movement and for standing with wild horses.
— AWHC Team
The votes are in! Download your Official 2026 AWHC Member Card →
The following is from the American Wild Horse Conservation:
The votes are in — and we’re excited to unveil the Official 2026 American Wild Horse Conservation Member Card:
Please download your virtual member card above and proudly show that you’re a card-carrying member of the AWHC herd!
And in 2026, we’re reaching new heights together.
This year, your membership will help power work that is expanding in scope, visibility, and impact — from stronger federal advocacy and on-the-ground accountability, to groundbreaking storytelling that brings the reality of wild horses into the national spotlight.
With your continued support, AWHC is:
Expanding our presence on Capitol Hill to defend hard-won protections and push for lasting reform.
Strengthening investigations to expose cruelty and hold agencies accountable.
Scaling humane, science-based conservation solutions that keep horses on the range.
Reaching new audiences through film, media, and education — elevating wild horses like never before.
As the challenges facing wild horses grow, so does the need for a committed community ready to meet the moment.
Will you renew your support for 2026 and help power the work ahead?
| RENEW YOUR SUPPORT |
Every time you look at your member card, we hope it reminds you that you’re part of a movement dedicated to protecting the freedom of America’s wild herds.
With gratitude,
American Wild Horse Conservation
Help select the Official 2026 AWHC Member Card design!
The following is from the American Wild Horse Conservation:
Because of supporters like you, American Wild Horse Conservation enters 2026 with momentum — and we want to start the year by celebrating you.
Each year, our virtual AWHC Member Card is a small but meaningful way we recognize the people who make this work possible. It represents a shared commitment to protecting America’s wild horses and burros — on the range, in the courts, and in Washington, D.C.
And once again, we want your voice to shape it. Will you help us select our official 2026 AWHC Member Card design?
Below are three design options inspired by the landscapes, herds, and freedom you help defend every day. Please take a moment to vote for the one that best reflects why you stand with wild horses:
Option #1: Keep Them Wild
Option #2: 10 Years Strong
Option #3: Part of the Herd
By voting, you’re helping shape a symbol of the community that stands up for wild horses year after year — a reminder that, together, we refuse to look away when these animals are at risk.
Cast your vote now — we’ll announce the winning design soon:
| VOTE NOW |
With gratitude,
American Wild Horse Conservation
An emergency wild horse roundup is about to begin in Nevada
The following is from the American Wild Horse Conservation:
An emergency wild horse roundup is set to begin today in Nevada — and we want you to know that this is exactly why American Wild Horse Conservation exists.
From the very beginning, AWHC was founded to serve as a watchdog — to be the checks and balances when federal agencies move quickly or quietly, and to ensure the treatment of wild horses and burros is witnessed, documented, and held to account.
And our team is on the ground.
Because our team is prepared to respond on short notice, we were able to mobilize resources and place a trained observer at the roundup site to independently document what happens and provide oversight as this operation unfolds.
Here’s what we know so far:
Today, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) begins a multi-day emergency wild horse roundup in and around the Snowstorm Mountain and Little Humboldt Herd Management Areas (HMA) of Nevada. We learned of the operation late Friday, and because of the way it was announced, there was little public notice before it began.
What’s especially significant is that the BLM is proceeding with this roundup under “emergency” authority, claiming the horses are in poor body condition due to a fire that burned in the HMAs.
When agencies rely on emergency authority, transparency can disappear overnight. That makes independent monitoring more critical than ever.
A Fiscal Year 2026 roundup schedule has not been released yet so we don’t know how the West’s wild horses will be impacted, but we do know when we are on the ground at these removals, we are the eyes and the ears of the American public.
As this operation continues, we’ll share updates from the field and keep you informed about what we’re seeing and what it means — not just for the horses in Nevada, but for wild horse policy nationwide.
Moments like this underscore how critical independent observation is. AWHC’s Observation Fund makes it possible for us to deploy trained observers on short notice — ensuring transparency, documentation, and accountability when wild horses are most vulnerable.
As this roundup continues, we will keep you informed every step of the way.
With appreciation,
American Wild Horse Conservation
Congress advances humane protections for wild horses and burros
The following is from the American Wild Horse Conservation:
e’re eager to share some very exciting breaking news:
After months of advocacy, both the House and Senate have officially passed the FY26 Interior Appropriations bill, securing critical funding for America’s wild horses and burros for the year ahead.
This progress didn’t happen by chance. It reflects months of work by AWHC’s government relations team on the ground, the trusted relationships we’ve built with wild horse champions in the bipartisan Wild Horse Caucus, and — just as importantly — supporters like you, Meredith, who reached out to your elected officials and demanded better outcomes for our cherished wild herds.
Together, this combination of strategy, relationships, and public pressure made this win possible.
| POWER OUR WORK |
The final bill includes:
- Up to $11 million in funding for immunocontraceptive vaccines, enabling large-scale fertility control implementation
- Expectations from Congress that fertility control programs continue to grow alongside this funding
- Preservation of the slaughter ban, protecting wild horses and burros from commercial exploitation
- No inclusion of permanent sterilization – a rejection of the BLM’s past proposals requesting these types of inhumane experiments
This is real progress. But it is not the end of the fight.
In 2026, federal agencies will decide how these funds are implemented, how policies are interpreted, and whether humane reforms are strengthened — or quietly undermined. That’s why AWHC is preparing to expand our government relations work in the year ahead.
We need to be present — consistently — in Washington and beyond:
- Monitoring the implementation of FY26 funding
- Engaging lawmakers and agency leadership
- Defending hard-won protections to ensure they stay intact
- Advancing proactive reforms that keep wild horses on the range
| POWER OUR WORK |
Thank you for standing with us.
With appreciation,
American Wild Horse Conservation
Horses are stepping into the spotlight this year
The following is from the American Wild Horse Conservation:
2026 brings a rare convergence of equine moments that will shine a powerful spotlight on horses — wild, working, therapeutic, and legendary. From cultural milestones to major media, horses will be front and center — and how their stories are told matters.
One of those special moments is 2026’s Year of the Fire Horse in the Chinese zodiac — a powerful symbol of energy, movement, and transformation that only occurs once every 60 years. But it’s not the only reason horses will capture attention in 2026.
| I’M WITH YOU! |
This week, a major new documentary — Horse Power, narrated by Josh Brolin and produced in partnership with American Wild Horse Conservation — premieres to the public in Fort Worth Texas. The film follows horses across the globe: from wild mustangs in Nevada to the deep connection between Mongolian horses and their riders alongside service and therapy horses whose quiet strength changes human lives.
The premiere begins this Thursday — launching early to coincide with the Fort Worth Stock Show, which attracts more than one million visitors annually.
With horses capturing attention across culture, media, and public life this year, the moment couldn’t be more consequential. And at the same time, 2026 will be a defining year for America’s wild horses.
Major roundups are planned. Critical legal and policy decisions are underway. What happens this year could determine the future of entire herds for generations.
As horses capture public attention, we need supporters with us — helping spread awareness, share accurate information, and ensure wild horses are not left out of the story. So we’re asking: Will you stand with us?
| I’M WITH YOU! |
With gratitude,
The AWHC Team